Clifford Mayem's blog: "Stuff"

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 Chain letters Hello, my name is Cliff and I suffer from the guilt of not forwarding 50 billion fucking chain letters sent to me by people who actually believe that if you send them on, a poor 6-year-old girl in Arkansas with a breast on her forehead will be able to raise enough money to have it removed before her redneck parents sell her to a traveling freak show. Do you honestly believe that Bill Gates is going to give you, and everyone to whom you send "his" email, $1000? How stupid are we? Ooooh, looky here! If I scroll down this page and make a wish, I'll get laid by a model I just happen to run into the next day!" What a bunch of bullshit. Maybe the evil chain letter leprechauns will come into my house and sodomize me in my sleep for not continuing a chain letter that was started by Peter in 5 AD and brought to this country by midget pilgrims on the Mayflower. Fuck 'em. If you're going to forward something, at least send me something mildly amusing. I've seen all the "send this to 10 of your closest friends, and this poor, wretched excuse for a human being will somehow receive a nickel from some omniscient being" forwards about 90 times. I don't fucking care. Show a little intelligence and think about what you're actually contributing to by sending out these forwards. Chances are, it's your own unpopularity. The point being? If you get some chain letter that's threatening to leave you shagless or luckless for the rest of your life, delete it. If it's funny, send it on. Don't piss people off by making them feel guilty about a leper in Botswana with no teeth who has been tied to the ass of a dead elephant for 27 years and whose only salvation is the 5 cents per letter he'll receive if you forward this email. Now forward this to everyone you know. Otherwise, tomorrow morning your underwear will turn carnivorous and will consume your genitals. Have a nice day. P.S. Send me 15 bucks and Then Fuck Off 5:20 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, February 06, 2007 How small we really are,micro art,the best robot dance,story about Butch O'hare. Current mood: chipper This is humbling.> http://www.rense.com/general72/size.htm This is also amazing.> http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/microscopic.asp Who said white boys can't dance.> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3SSLTXLbL0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two Great Stories STORY NUMBER ONE Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example. One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read: The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power To tell just when the hands will stop At late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still. STORY NUMBER TWO World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of dam aging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2. SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER? Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's"son. Currently reading : The Complete Sherlock Holmes: All 4 Novels and 56 Short Stories By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Release date: By 01 October, 1986 2:17 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Sunday, February 04, 2007 Colts win! Current mood: happy Category: Sports Yaaaay! Colts win! Peyton Manning deserves a ring. We rock. Wooo hooo! 9:04 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Friday, February 02, 2007 I'm in love. Current mood: frustrated Category: Romance and Relationships I am in love with Diana Krall. I think she is the most beautiful woman in the world and when I hear her sing I just melt. There is only one person standing in my way. Elvis Costello. Any suggestions on how to get rid of him? Maybe if I learned to really play the piano and bust out some Duke Ellington she would like me more and dump him. And maybe if I did vocal training also. I don't know. That little four eyed poo poo head. I wanna melt his face off with low rhythmic palm mutes, dive bombs, and chromatic shreds. I think I got a chance. I'm sexy, smart, and talented. We were meant to be together. Currently listening : From This Moment On By Diana Krall Release date: By 19 September, 2006 8:47 PM - 2 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Atlas Shrugged Category: Religion and Philosophy I heard that they are making a movie of the story to be released in 2008. I hope so. The message needs to get out. I think it is going to star Brad and Angelina supposedly fans of Ayn rand. Here is some info on the book if you're interested which I hope you are. Atlas Shrugged From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search .. start content --> For the film, see Atlas Shrugged (film). Atlas Shrugged ..> Author Ayn Rand Cover Artist Nick Gaetano Country United States Language English Genre(s) Philosophical novel Publisher Random House Released 12 October 1957 Media Type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Pages 1168 (depending on edition) ISBN ISBN 0-394-41576-0 (hardback edition) ..> Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the USA. It was Rand's last work of fiction before concentrating her writings exclusively on philosophy, politics and cultural criticism. At over one thousand pages in length, she considered it her magnum opus. The book explores a number of philosophical themes that Rand would subsequently develop into the philosophy of Objectivism. ..> Contents [hide] 1 Philosophy and writing 2 Setting 3 Plot 4 Social concepts in Atlas Shrugged 4.1 "Sanction of the Victim" 4.2 Social classes 4.3 Theory of sex 5 Companies 5.1 Comparison with real-life railways 6 Fictional technology 6.1 Rearden Metal 6.2 Project X 6.3 Galt's motor 6.4 Project F 7 Galt's speech 8 Reception 9 Film adaptation 10 Atlas Shrugged in popular culture 11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 13.1 Publications 13.2 Foreign language translations 13.3 Reviews 13.4 Satires and parodies 14 External links ..> .. type=text/javascript> //..[CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> ..> [edit] Philosophy and writing The theme of Atlas Shrugged is that independent, rational thought is the engine that powers the world. The main conflict of the book occurs as the "individuals of the mind" go on strike, thus no longer contributing problem-solving analysis, new ideas, inventions, medical breakthroughs, research, or inventions of any kind to the rest of the world, allowing a near-total collapse of a society that they had not only considered themselves to be crucial in holding together, but a society which they had even believed themselves to be subsidising. The previous peaceful cohesiveness of the world had required those individuals whose productive work comes from mental effort. They had always felt that they naturally created in direct disproportion to forceful interference by others. But feeling they have no alternative, they eventually start disappearing from the communities of "looters," Rand's term for others seeking a free dependency on productive people. Like the Greek Titan Atlas, individuals rationally and circumspectly seeking their own long-term happiness believe that they hold the world on their shoulders. The novel's title is an allusion to the Titan, discussing what might happen if those supporting the world suddenly decided to stop doing so. In the novel, the allusion comes during a conversation between two protagonists, Francisco d'Anconia and Hank Rearden, near the end of part two, chapter three, where Francisco suggests to Rearden that if he could suggest to Atlas that he do one thing, it would be to shrug. In the world of Atlas Shrugged, society stagnates when independent productive achievers began to be socially demonized and even punished for their accomplishments, even though society had been far more healthy and prosperous by allowing, encouraging, and rewarding self-reliance and individual achievement. Independence and personal happiness flourished to the extent that people were free, and achievement was rewarded to the extent that individual ownership of private property was strictly respected. The hero, John Galt, lives a life of laissez-faire capitalism as the only way to live consistent with his beliefs. Atlas Shrugged is a political book. It portrays fascism, socialism and communism – any form of state intervention in society, as systemically and fatally flawed. However, Rand claimed that it is not a fundamentally political book, but that the politics portrayed in the novel are a result of her attempt to display her image of the ideal person and the individual mind's position and value in society. Rand argues that independence and individual achievement enable society to survive and thrive, and should be embraced. But this requires a "rational" moral code. She argues that, over time, coerced self-sacrifice causes any society to self-destruct. She is similarly dismissive of faith beyond reason, in a god or higher being, or anything else as an authority over one's own mind. The book positions itself against religion specifically, often directly within the characters' dialogue. [edit] Setting Galt's Gulch was inspired by Ouray, Colorado. It was here that Rand found inspiration to complete the novel, though she greatly expanded the small valley to include her many ideas for the story. Ouray still celebrates her novel every year. Exactly when Atlas Shrugged is meant to take place is kept deliberately vague. In section 152, the population of New York City is given as 7 million. The historical New York City reached 7 million people in the 1930s, which might place the novel sometime after that. There are many early 20th century technologies available, but the political situation is clearly different from actual history. One interpretation is that the novel takes place many years in the future, implying that since the world lapsed into its socialistic morass, a global-wide stagnation has occurred in technological growth, population growth, and indeed growth of any kind; the wars, economic depressions, and other events of the 20th century would be a distant memory to all but scholars and academicians. This would be in line with Rand's ideas and commentary on other novels depicting Utopian and dystopian societies. Furthermore, this is also in line with an excerpt from a 1964 interview with Playboy magazine in which Rand states "What we have today is not a capitalist society, but a mixed economy – that is, a mixture of freedom and controls, which, by the presently dominant trend, is moving toward dictatorship. The action in Atlas Shrugged takes place at a time when society has reached the stage of dictatorship. When and if this happens, that will be the time to go on strike, but not until then," thus implying that her novel takes place at some point in the future. The concept of societal stagnation in the wake of collectivist systems is central to the plot of another of Rand's works, Anthem. In Atlas Shrugged, all countries outside the US have become, or become during the novel, "People's States". There are many examples of early 20th century technology in Atlas Shrugged, but no post-war advances such as nuclear weapons, helicopters, or computers. Jet planes are mentioned briefly as being a relatively new technology. Television is a novelty that has yet to assume any cultural significance, while radio broadcasts are prominent. Though Rand does not use in the book many of the technological innovations available while she was writing, she introduces some advanced, fictional inventions (e.g., sound-based weapons of mass destruction, torture devices, as well as power plants), although it could be argued the sound weapon was modeled after experimental German weapons developed during WWII. Most of the action in Atlas Shrugged occurs in the United States. However, there are important events around the world, such as in the People's States of Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, and piracy at sea. [edit] Plot Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Atlas Shrugged The novel's plot is split into three sections. The first two sections, and to some extent the last, follow Dagny Taggart, a no-nonsense railroad executive, and her attempt to keep the company alive despite repeated encroachment by a society falling toward collectivism / altruism / statism. All throughout the novel people repeat a platitude Dagny greatly resents: "Who is John Galt?" It is a reflection of their helplessness, as the saying means "Don't ask important questions, because they don't have answers." The "geniuses" of the world seem to be disappearing, and the apparent decline of civilization is making it more and more difficult for her to sustain her life-long aspirations of running the trans-continental railroad, which has been in her family for several generations. She deals with other characters such as Hank Rearden, a self-made businessman of great integrity whose career is hindered by his feelings of obligation towards his wife. Francisco d'Anconia, Dagny's childhood friend, first love, and king of the copper industry, appears to have become a worthless playboy who is purposely destroying his business. As the novel progresses, the myths about the real John Galt, as well as Francisco d'Anconia's actions, increasingly become a reflection of the state of the culture and seem to make more and more sense. Hank and Dagny begin to experience the futility of their attempts to survive in a society that hates them and those like them for their greatness. During their plight, Dagny and Hank find the remnants of a motor that turns atmospheric static electricity into kinetic energy, an astounding feat; they also find evidence that the minds (the "Atlases") of the world are disappearing because of one particular "destroyer" taking them away. Dagny and Hank deal with the irrationalities and apparent contradictions of their atmosphere, and search for the creator of the motor as well as "the destroyer" who is draining the world of its prime movers, in an effort to secure their ability to live rational lives. The question "Who is John Galt?" is also answered towards the closing of the novel - John Galt is a man disgusted that non-productive members of society use laws and guilt to leech from the value created by productive members of society. He made a pledge that he will never live his life for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for him, and founded an enclave, separate from the rest of the country, where he and other productive members of society have fled. See also: Characters in Atlas Shrugged [edit] Social concepts in Atlas Shrugged [edit] "Sanction of the Victim" The Sanction of the Victim is defined as "the willingness of the good to suffer at the hands of the evil, to accept the role of sacrificial victim for the 'sin' of creating values." The entire story of Atlas Shrugged can be seen as an answer to the question, what would happen if this sanction was revoked? When Atlas shrugs, relieving himself of the burden of carrying the world, he is revoking his sanction. The concept may be original in the thinking of Ayn Rand and is foundational to her moral theory. She holds that evil is a parasite on the good and can only exist if the good tolerates it. To quote from Galt's Speech: "Evil is impotent and has no power but that which we let it extort from us," and, "I saw that evil was impotent...and the only weapon of its triumph was the willingness of the good to serve it." Morality requires that we do not sanction our own victimhood, Rand claims. In adhering to this concept, Rand assigns virtue to the trait of selfishness. However, Rand contends that moral selfishness does not mean a license to do whatever one pleases, guided by whims. It means the exacting discipline of defining and pursuing one's rational self-interest. A code of rational self-interest rejects every form of human sacrifice, whether of oneself to others or of others to oneself. Throughout Atlas Shrugged, numerous characters admit that there is something wrong with the world but they cannot put their finger on what it is. The concept they cannot grasp is the sanction of the victim. The first person to grasp the concept is John Galt, who vows to stop the motor of the world by getting the creators of the world to withhold their sanction. We first glimpse the concept in section 121 when Hank Rearden feels he is duty-bound to support his family, despite their hostility towards him. In section 146 the principle is stated explicitly by Dan Conway: "I suppose somebody's got to be sacrificed. If it turned out to be me, I have no right to complain." [edit] Social classes Atlas Shrugged conveys the impression of endorsing a natural, if not political, aristocracy. However, the characters' positive or negative assessment appears to be due to their productivity and moral integrity, and is not necessarily reflected in their class background. Different social classes are represented among both the heroes and the villains of Atlas Shrugged. Among the heroes, John Galt and Hank Rearden are from working class backgrounds, while Dagny Taggart and Francisco d'Anconia are from wealthy families. Among the villains, Fred Kinnan is from a working class background, while James Taggart and Betty Pope are from wealthy families. Compare: Meritocracy [edit] Theory of sex In rejecting the traditional altruistic moral code, Rand also rejects the sexual code that, in her view, is the logical implication of altruism. Rand introduces a theory of sex in Atlas Shrugged that is based in her broader ethical and psychological theories. Far from being a debasing animal instinct, sex to Rand is the highest celebration of our values, a physical response to intellectual and spiritual values that gives concrete expression to what could otherwise only be experienced in the abstract. This is a general idea of sexual desire as a response to the embodiment of our values reminiscent of that found in Plato's Symposium. In Atlas Shrugged, characters are sexually attracted to those who embody their values. Characters who have "base" values are attracted to those that embody their "base" values. Characters who lack clear purpose find sex devoid of meaning. Characters with "higher" values respond sexually to those who embody them. This is illustrated in the contrasting relationships of Hank Rearden with Lillian Rearden and Dagny Taggart, and later with Taggart and John Galt. Illustrations of this theory are found in: Section 152 – recounts Dagny's relationship with Francisco d'Anconia. Section 161 – recounts Hank and Lillian Rearden's courtship, and Lillian's attitude towards sex. Section 231 – recounts the value for value basis of Dagny's seemingly unconditional love for Rearden [edit] Companies The companies in Atlas Shrugged are generally divided into two groups: those that are operated by sympathetic characters are given the name of the owner, while companies operated by "evil" or incompetent characters are given generic names. For example, Hank Rearden's companies are all named after him; Wyatt Oil after Ellis Wyatt; and Taggart Transcontinental and d'Anconia Copper are named after their founders (and, being family-held, their present owners). Nielsen Motors, Hammond Cars and Ayers Music Publishing are also presented as competent. Those who use their own names to name their companies become Strikers, with the minor exception of Mr. Ayers of the Ayers Music Publishing Company. On the other hand, Orren Boyle named his government-dependent, influence-peddling company Associated Steel. Another company in the novel is the Amalgamated Switch and Signal Company, Inc. The exception here are the Phoenix Durango Railroad, which was run by a competent entrepreneur who becomes a Striker in his own way, without joining the actual Strikers in Galt's Gulch. Another exception is the Twentieth Century Motor Company originally run by Jed Starnes whose mismanagement first seeds the thoughts of a strike in John Galt's mind. [edit] Comparison with real-life railways It should be noted that in actuality there had never been a US railway company such as Rand describes, maintaining tracks of its own all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Rather, in the United States, the term transcontinental railroad usually refers to a line over the Rocky Mountains between the Midwest and Pacific Ocean, and such companies tend to have the area of the Mississippi River as a transfer point with other companies active in the East. This turns out to be more advantageous economically, an Eastern company preferring not to ally itself with a particular Western company but keep the choice of sending traffic over the most profitable of the various Western lines (and vice versa). It had been like that since the advent of railways in the nineteenth century, and is still true: two of the present major class I railroads have systems east of the Mississippi, while the other two major ones are mainly west of the Mississippi. Taggart Transcontinental in the later part of the book is driven to act in this manner and rely on other companies for the western part of its traffic; that is, however, an emergency measure which is part of the gradual collapse of the company (and the entire world) and Dagny is far from pleased with the need to resort to it. By 1957, the date of the book's publication, railways were facing a decline that had begun in the 1920s. Passengers were increasingly switching to road transport. Air transport was also growing fast. (For details, see Amtrak; Passenger rail service before Amtrak.) [edit] Fictional technology Because the book centers on industrial capitalism, Ayn Rand mentions many technologies throughout the book. In addition to normal technologies, she introduces several fictional inventions, including refractor rays (Gulch mirage), Rearden Metal, a sonic death ray ("Project X"), voice activated door locks (Gulch power station), motors powered by static electricity, palm-activated door locks (Galt's NY lab), shale-oil drilling, and a sophisticated electrical torture device. Curiously, Rand at one point refers to the "screech" of a traffic-signal, implying that it signals by moving flags on mechanical arms. This was already old-fashioned when the book was published. [edit] Rearden Metal Rearden metal is a fictitious metal alloy invented by Hank Rearden. It is lighter than traditional steel but stronger, and is to steel what steel was to iron. It is described as greenish-blue. Among its ingredients are iron and copper, two metals seldom found together in real-world alloys. Initially, no one is willing to use Rearden metal because no one wants to stick his neck out and be the first to try it. Finally, Dagny Taggart places an order for Rearden Metal when she needs rails to rebuild the dying Rio Norte Line. Once the metal is proven, the "looters" seek both to place it on the market for everyone, and deny it to the industrialists who believe they can make the most profitable use of it. Later, the formula for the metal itself is extorted from Rearden and dubbed "Miracle Metal." [edit] Project X Project X is an invention of the scientists at the State Science Institute, requiring tons of Rearden Metal. It is a sonic weapon, capable of destroying everything in a 100-mile radius. The scientists claim that the project will be used to preserve peace and squash rebellion. It is destroyed towards the end of the book, and emits a sonic pulse that destroys everything in the surrounding area, including Cuffy Meigs and Dr. Stadler, as well as the Taggart Bridge. [edit] Galt's motor John Galt invented a new type of electrical apparatus described in the book as a motor. This motor is revolutionary because it uses static electricity from the atmosphere as its main source of energy, requiring only a small amount of conventional fuel to run the conversion mechanism. This approximates a perpetual motion machine of the second kind, a machine which spontaneously converts thermal energy into mechanical work (versus conventional heat engines, which convert thermal energy into mechanical work by transferring thermal energy from one reservoir to another). The theory is that the power is drawn from the environment (possibly approximating the Casimir effect, though that was extremely obscure and scientifically controversial at the time Atlas Shrugged was written). The book gives the source as static electricity from the air, and suggests that a new physics was necessary to tap it. Dagny discovers a discarded prototype of the motor, and it is superficially described in section Part 1, Chapter 9. In Part 3, Chapter 1, Dagny learns that Galt is using a working version of the motor to generate electricity for Galt's Gulch. [edit] Project F A torture device invented by Dr. Floyd Ferris is introduced towards the end where John Galt is tortured. It consists of having the victim tied to a mattress with electrodes attached to the wrists, the ankles and the hips. Electricity is passed in various combinations (Wrist-to-wrist, Ankle-to-Hip) to inflict pain on the victim. The electricity amount being passed through the victim is so calculated to cause maximum pain without inflicting any permanent physical damage to the victim. It is located in the Science Institute. [edit] Galt's speech John Galt's speech is the core of Atlas Shrugged. In it, Galt explains the philosophy of Objectivism. The speech encompasses metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, and political ideas. The speech is very long, spanning 56 pages in one paperback edition (the only interruption occurs after the first paragraph), and appears in the chapter "This is John Galt Speaking" in the third section of the book.[1] [edit] Reception Atlas Shrugged was reviewed shortly after its publication in 1957 by many major newspapers and magazines. The initial reviews were largely negative, criticizing both the book's literary qualities and its political vision.[2] Arguably, the bulk of critical discussion has focused on the latter. As Thomas Reed Whissen has said, "Rand's critics say that she cannot write, but one senses in such an indictment more of a political than a literary posture; for surely the enduring success of The Fountainhead — not to mention the enormously popular Atlas Shrugged — cannot be attributed to her philosophy alone. Her style may be somewhat overwrought and her characters cardboard, but she is a genius at plotting, and she knows how to tell a story."[3] The conservative magazine National Review commissioned a highly critical review (by Whittaker Chambers) arguing against the novel's implicit endorsement of atheism whereby "Randian man, like Marxian man is made the center of a godless world."[4] In response, the Objectivist magazine The Intellectual Activist argued that Chambers did not actually read the novel.[5]. Writer and former Objectivist George Saunders claims that the mentality of Atlas Shrugged is very similar to neoconservativism. He says the book tells people they are special without giving any proof of it, and equates weakness with evil. He also claims that "Ayn Rand writes bad prose."[6] Political critic Arianna Huffington asserts that Rand's vision of businessmen in Atlas Shrugged differs from how they act in reality. Rand's businessman is one "who earns what he gets and does not give or take the undeserved" and "does not ask to be paid for his failures, nor does he ask to be loved for his flaws," which, according to Huffington, contradicts with how modern CEOs act, especially in the case of the Enron scandal.[7] The answer given by Rand supporters is that she does not imply, in Atlas Shrugged or elsewhere, that most businessmen live up to this ideal in practice. Former Ayn Rand associate Nathaniel Branden argues that Atlas Shrugged "encourages emotional repression and self-disowning" and that it, along with Rand's other major Objectivist novel, The Fountainhead, contains contradictory messages. Though he notes that the book shows that Rand understood the human need for social interaction, Branden claims that "rarely you find the heroes and heroine talking to each other on a simple, human level without launching into philosophical sermons," which he believes is used to increase the reader's self-alienation. He further questions the psychological impact of the novel stating that John Galt's claim that contempt and moral condemnation are appropriate responses to wrongdoing clashes with the recommendations of psychologists, who say that this kind of behavior only causes the wrongdoing to repeat itself.[8] On the other hand, Howard Dickman of Reader's Digest wrote that the novel had "turned millions of readers on to the ideas of liberty" and said that the book had the important message of the readers' "profound right to be happy." The libertarian Cato Institute held a joint conference with The Atlas Society, an Objectivist organization, to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the publication of Atlas Shrugged.[9] Conservative Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas cites Atlas Shrugged as among his favorite novels,[10] as does neolibertarian Larry Elder.[1] In an article titled "Celebrity Rand Fans" in the Objectivist magazine The New Individualist, Robert James Bidinotto traces the novel's growing influence among major Hollywood stars, sports champions, and public figures. Chip Mellor of the libertarian Institute for Justice writes that "Whether they have adopted her philosophy wholeheartedly or found her writings of more transitory interest, countless individuals working to secure liberty have found inspiration in the works of Ayn Rand. With her unique ability to depict heroism, idealism, and romance behind the creativity of the individual, Rand inspires readers to come to the defense of free minds and free markets. [2]" In a three-month online poll[11][12] of reader selections of the hundred best books of the twentieth century, administered by publisher Modern Library, Atlas Shrugged was voted number one, ahead of The Fountainhead, Battlefield Earth, and The Lord of the Rings, while the list chosen by the Modern Library panel of authors and scholars contains no works by Rand.[13] Because Battlefield Earth and two other books by science fiction writer and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard were in the top ten, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ray Jenkins compares Rand's popularity to that of Hubbard, calling her "a goddess of a great American cult."[14] He goes on to claim that her works were "ignored or deplored by the critics of the day." Literary critic Harold Bloom found Atlas Shrugged and Rand's other fiction to have enough significance to include her in a critical anthology he edited, American Women Fiction Writers, 1900-1960, Vol. Three, (Chelsea House, 1998). The C-SPAN television series American Writers listed Rand as one of twenty-two surveyed figures of American literature, though primarily mentioning The Fountainhead rather than Atlas Shrugged.[15] [edit] Film adaptation Film rights to the novel Atlas Shrugged were purchased by the Baldwin Entertainment Group in 2003. Lions Gate Entertainment has picked up worldwide distribution rights; James V. Hart has written the first draft two-part screenplay, and his screenplay is now being fully developed by writer-director Randall Wallace; Angelina Jolie has been confirmed to play the role of Dagny Taggart,[16] and Brad Pitt is rumored to be cast as John Galt.[17] Both are fans of Rand's works. The film adaptation is projected to be made as a trilogy, with staggered release-dates for each of the three films. Two works of Rand's, The Fountainhead and We the Living, have already been adapted into movies. Rand herself wrote a draft 'teleplay' which would have seen Atlas Shrugged adapted as a TV mini-series, but it was never made. See also: Atlas Shrugged (film) [edit] Atlas Shrugged in popular culture In the South Park episode "Chicken Lover," Officer Barbrady reads Atlas Shrugged after overcoming his illiteracy. He later states to the town that he "read every last word of this piece of shit" and because he did so "will never read anything ever again." "WhoIsJohnGalt" is a cheat code in Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III. The cheat speeds up research of new technologies. In the Marvel comic book X-Factor, the mysterious, precognitive teenage character Layla Miller is seen reading Atlas Shrugged, which makes the other characters slightly uneasy. In an episode of Beverly Hills 90210, Kelly can be seen reading a hard-cover version of Atlas Shrugged, with the camera resting on the book for a lengthy period of time before moving off. Fashion designer and visual artist Sean D'Anconia often slips in hidden references to Atlas Shrugged in his designs and avante-guard advertisements, appearing regularly in Flaunt and YRB Magazine. Flaunt Magazine Ad The story "The Rogue" by Science Fiction writer Poul Anderson seems to transfer many of the themes of Atlas Shrugged to a futuristic setting. In the story (later collected in Anderson's Tales of the Flying Mountains) the thriving and fast-expanding American mining colonies in the Asteroid Belt are a haven of capitalist enterprise, reminiscent of Colorado in Rand's book. People like the protagonist, mining tycoon Michael Blades (who has many resemblances to the industrialists in Atlas Shrugged) can and do get personally wealthy - which is virtually impossible in the earthbound USA where the Social Justice Party holds power in Washington. A space warship arrives from Earth, with its secret mission to arrange an "accident" that will put Blades out of business. The resulting confrontation touches off a rebellion which eventually leads the asteroid colonies to start a war of independence and set up their own republic. It is unknown, however, whether Anderson was influenced directly by Rand's book, or developed similar themes independently. In the Dean Koontz novel Mr. Murder, two characters take on assumed names John and Ann Gault in order to hide from an evil secret government agency. In the newspaper cartoon Zits, Jeremy's friend Pierce declares Atlas Shrugged to be his favorite novel because it is thick enough to use as a pillow in the school library. In an episode of The Simpsons called A Streetcar Named Marge, Maggie attends the Ayn Rand School for Tots. A poster on the wall reads "A is A," the title of Part Three of Atlas Shrugged. In the currently in development computer game Bioshock the words "ATLAS WAS RIGHT" is daubed on a surface, an issue of PCGamer magazine also cite's "Atlas shrugged" as a source for the Game's setting of a Utopian society undergoing complete collapse, showing that when those at the top become persecuted, societal collapse is sure to follow. In the second episode of One Tree Hill Lucas Scott is given a copy of "Atlas Shrugged" by fellow teammate Jake Jagielski. Lucas is struggling with whether to continue playing for his high school basketball team, the Ravens, after having a horrible first game and losing his ability to shoot. His estranged father Dan has convinced Nathan, Dan's other son and Lucas' half brother, to force Lucas off the team so that college scouts can be focused exclusively on Nathan. Jake tells Lucas, "You're gonna be alright". "Just don't let them take it from you". Confused, Lucas replies that he doesn't know what that means. Jake motions to the book and says, "You will". 3:22 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove